Thursday, November 13, 2014

Following many years of internal conflict, the Republic of South Sudan gained independence from Sudan through a referendum in July 2011. Today, ongoing insecurity and a lack of infrastructure pose major challenges for the 80 percent of the population who derive their livelihoods from subsistence agriculture and livestock keeping. Read on to learn five facts about progress made and challenges faced by P4P in South Sudan:

Insecurity has hindered progress but hasn’t halted it

P4P activities were delayed by the renewal of conflict in late 2013. Implementation began again in April 2014, and is continuing in relatively stable and accessible areas. However, the country’s general instability makes long-term planning challenging.

Small-scale traders and smallholder farmers are both benefitting

P4P has sought alternative solutions to create sustainable links between farmers and markets. For example, small-scale traders have benefited from capacity development efforts, and are now purchasing from smallholder farmers at fair prices, selling to WFP as well as other markets. Some have also provided farmers with inputs, tractor hire services and credit. Sales to WFP through P4P procurement modalities have totalled US$ 564,000, providing smallholders with an incentive to continue improving agricultural production.

Poor roads make reaching markets a challenge

Smallholders located in rural areas are often unable to reach markets to sell their crops due to a lack of roads. Efforts have been made to link P4P-supported farmers with WFP’s feeder roads operation. Though these efforts have proven challenging, they will be strengthened as P4P is mainstreamed. This will also more fully integrate P4P-supported smallholder farmers into asset creation efforts to improve the condition of community access roads and potentially increase the extent of cultivated land in South Sudan.

Knowledge is being shared amongst farmers

To ensure that information is passed on amongst smallholders, P4P is utilizing training approaches in which participants learn to teach others. Plus, 60 training manuals in post-harvest handling have been distributed. Training posters have been translated into four local languages allowing this information to be disseminated widely beyond the immediate beneficiaries of the training.

WFP is assisting the government to improve crop quality

P4P’s efforts to link smallholders to sustainable markets complement the government’s commitment to invest in agriculture. The Government of South Sudan has been a key partner through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Cooperatives and Rural Development. WFP is also working with the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards to improve commodity quality testing and administration.

To learn more about P4P in South Sudan, read the two-page fact sheet here.